Alliant seeks to turn up natural gas rates

Alliant Energy’s asking state regulators to approve a rate increase for the utility’s 200-thousand natural gas customers in Iowa. Lisha Coffey, a spokeswoman for Alliant, says the rate increase will cover investments the utility has made in the past few years.The utility’s natural gas rates were last raised in 1995, and Coffey says in the past seven years Alliant has spent 100-million dollars improving its natural gas infrastructure. Coffey says the average rate increase for the natural gas customers of Iowa Power and Light, which is owned by Alliant, would be seven-point-two percent. They’re as far south as Burlington and go up to Little Rock and all the way over to Clinton.Coffey says residential customers would see about a seven dollar increase in their monthly bills if the rate hike is approved by the Iowa Utilities Board. Alliant recently asked the Iowa Utilities Board to allow for an increase in its electric rates, too.